He renewed his search, being careful to keep the room in the same order as he found it, but he was unsuccessful. He was about to give up, regretfully, and he had already begun to formulate new clews in his mind, when from the bottom of a bureau drawer he picked up a small book. At the sight of it Larry started, for it was a book, or catalogue, from a concern dealing in false beards, wigs and other theatrical disguises.
“This is where he got his ideas of false moustaches from,” thought Larry. Idly he leafed the book. Something fluttered from between two pages to the floor.
The young reporter stooped to pick it up, and he could hardly believe the evidence of his own eyes when he saw, lying on the floor, a thousand-dollar bill!
“Great Scott!” whispered Larry. “It’s real!”
He fingered it, thinking for the moment that it might be “stage money.” But his touch told him that it was genuine.
“What have I found? What have I found?” he murmured. “The stolen million was all in thousand-dollar bills! Is this the only one left?”
As he stood in the middle of the floor, holding the bill in his fingers, there was a step in the hall outside.
CHAPTER XVI
A STRANGE DISCOVERY
“Who’s that?” thought Larry instantly. “If it’s Witherby he’ll take the alarm, and go at once. But no, it can’t be that chap. He’s too far off. And if it’s any of the other boarders he won’t come in—that is, unless he’s a friend of Witherby’s, who may walk in unawares. If he sees this——”
Larry looked down at the thousand-dollar bill he held, and then he glanced at the door. With noiseless steps he crossed the room, and was about to turn the key in the lock, a precaution he felt he should have taken before, when there came a tap on the portal.